Electric steam boiler



Sept. 18, 1951 Q sTEEN ELECTRIC STEAM BOILER Filed Aug. 11, 1949 Patented Sept. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC STEAM BOILER Carl August Steen, Getinge, Sweden Application August 11, 1949, Serial No. 109,634 In Sweden January 13, 1947 4 Claims. 1

The invention refers to electric steam boilers with electrodes in contact with the electrolyte which usually consists of water.

An object of the invention is to provide a steam boiler, in which the steam generation is automatically regulated to keep the steam pressure or any desired steam pressure substantially constant in a simple way by regulating the contact surface between one or more adjustable electrodes and the electrolyte.

A further object is to provide a brake acting on the electrode carrier in such a way that rapid adjustments of the electrodes and corresponding alterations of the electric power consumption are avoided without any reduction of the sensitivity of the regulation.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates by way of example a steam boiler provided with two different brake devices according to the invention.

In the steam boiler I the water level is presumed to be maintained constant by means of any known feed water device not shown in the drawing, and the electrodes 2 are immersed into the water. The electrodes are mounted on insulators 3 on a plate 4, which is secured to a cylindrical carrier 5. The carrier passes through a stuffing box or sealing device 6 in the upper portion of the boiler wall, and to fit the weight of the electrode system to the desired steam pressure the carrier is loaded by weights 1. The insulators are connected with terminals 9 by means of helical conductors 8 allowing a vertical motion of the electrodes. In operation of the boiler the electrode system is entirely or at least substantially supported by the steam.

The carrier 5 is provided with a brake screen 10 located below the electrodes and shaped in correspondence to the bottom of the boiler. The screen which is connected with the plate 4 by means of bolts, has the form of a calotte with such a diameter that only a small space is formed between the circumference of the calotte and the boiler wall to cause a suflicient brake action on the movable system. This ringformed space may vary but is preferably less than the surface of the screen. Perforations may be provided at the top of the screen to allow steam and air collected within the calotte to escape. As the screen is located below the electrodes it will not form an obstacle for the steam generated by the electrodes and passing to the upper portion of the boiler, and if the electrodes should be raised above the water level the screen still remains in the water and acts as a brake.

It is obvious, however, that the brake may be altered in different respects. Thus the drawing also shows a modification of the brake device. The electrode carrier is made as a tube closed at the bottom and at least partly filled with a braking liquid such as oil. A piston H is provided within the tube and is secured to a rod l2, which passes through the tube and is connected with a fix portion l3. Between the piston and the tube a small space is provided, through which the oil has to be forced when the movable system is adjusted relative to the fixed piston I I. The same brake action is thus obtained by this device, which has the advantage that the piston may be removed and inspected while the boiler is operating.

I claim:

1. In an electric steam boiler, an electrode carrier arranged slidable in a stufiing box at the top of the boiler wall and adapted to be supported by the steam pressure, and a brake device acting on the electrode carrier with a force which increases with the velocity of the adjustment of the electrode carrier.

2. In an electric steam boiler, an electrode carrier arranged slidable in a stuffing box at the top of the boiler wall and adapted to be supported by the steam pressure, and a projecting screen mounted on the electrode carrier at a level below the normal level of the electrolyte in the boiler and acting on the electrode carrier as a brake with a force which increases with the velocity of the adjustment of the electrode carrier.

3. In an electric steam boiler, an electrode carrier arranged slidable in a stufiing box at the top of the boiler wall and adapted to be supported by the steam pressure, and a projecting screen mounted on the electrode carrier at a level below the normal level of the electrolyte in the boiler and acting on the electrode carrier as a brake with a force which increases with the velocity of the adjustment of the electrode carrier, said screen extending towards the side walls of the boiler and having only a small space between said screen and said side walls.

4. In an electric steam boiler, an electrode carrier arranged slidable in a stufiing box at the top of the boiler wall and adapted to be supported by the steam pressure, said carrier comprising a pipe containing a brake liquid, and said carrier containing a brake piston, which is immersed in the brake liquid and fixed to the boiler.

CARL AUGUST STEEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,714,578 Weiss May 28, 1929 2,024,467 Mason Dec. 17, 1935 2,428,714 Livingstone Oct. 7, 1947 2,468,244 Steen Apr. 26, 1949 

